The suspension of poultry shows and public sales in North Carolina has been lifted effective Wednesday, the state veterinarian said.
State Veterinarian Mike Martin announced in a news release that all exhibitions, farm tours, shows, sales, flea markets, auction markets, swaps and meets pertaining to poultry and feathered fowl in North Carolina can resume. The suspension had been in effect since April 5.
On May 12, the last High Path Avian Influenza control area was ended since no additional positive cases had been reported since April 11, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in the news release.
Martin is encouraging poultry owners to follow strict measures and monitor their flocks for signs of illness. He said that with warmer temperatures, officials hope the threat of HPAI is minimized for now.
Going back to March 29, avian flu was detected at seven commercial poultry facilities in Johnston and Wayne counties. More than 90,000 turkeys and more than 280,000 broilers were killed and composted on-site to prevent further spread of the virus.
This type of avian flu is considered a low risk to people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
